Tabula Rasa
by Orla
Summary: Shortly after Ranma and Akane's failed wedding, Ukyo comes to Akane to say farewell and leaves Nerima for a second chance in life, but is this really what she wants? New chapter up - a lost boy encounters a lost girl!
1. Chapter 1

Tabula Rasa

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Orla

All rights reserved to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz and a bunch of other talented people who are not me.

Set shortly after the final events in the Ranma 1/2 manga

PROLOGUE:

She waited until she was sure that Akane Tendo was alone in her room. For this venture to work there could be no possible interruption from anyone else otherwise all her carefully laid plans would be destroyed.

Using the skills born from ten years of martial arts training and then the essential abilities a girl in love with Ranma Saotome had to acquire to survive in Nerima, Ukyo Kuonji landed lightly on the rails of the balcony outside Akane's room. With a small sigh, she stepped down and tapped on the window, only just loud enough for Akane to hear.

The short haired girl looked up from the homework she was pouring over, the initial expression of anticipation changing swiftly to a wary scowl. Ukyo wasn't surprised. The last time she and Akane met was during the chaos of the aborted wedding, when she threw okonomiyaki bombs at the other girl. The bombs were never designed to kill, that wasn't the way Ukyo worked (except during that brief time Nabiki Tendo was Ranma's fiancée and who didn't want to kill the money grubbing middle Tendo daughter sometimes?), but the attack still had the intent to harm. So Ukyo was definitely not expecting Akane to welcome her with open arms.

She spread out her hands in a gesture of peace, showing she held no weapons. Indeed, the absence of the over-large spatula usually strapped to her back was an obvious indication that she wasn't here for a fight. Perhaps that was why Akane slowly opened the window, curiousity creeping into her eyes. "Can I help you, Kuonji-san?"

Ukyo winced slightly. "Can we talk, Akane-chan?" she wasn't going to retreat to formality just yet. She wanted to show Akane that she wasn't an enemy now.

Akane chewed on her lower lip. "All right," she said after a short moment of awkward silence. She opened the window wide enough for Ukyo to enter and stood back, watching as the okonomiyaki chef climbed inside. "Ranma's out," she blurted abruptly.

"I know," Ukyo responded calmly. "I waited until I was sure he wasn't in," she explained. "I want to talk to you alone, Akane, without Ranch... Ranma coming along in the middle."

"You're not calling him 'Ranchan'?" Akane's attention was definitely caught now, even if it was obvious she didn't trust Ukyo's intentions.

Ukyo sighed and swallowed hard. "I don't have the right to call him that, not after what I did..." she said softly and then knelt on the floor in front of Akane.

"U-ukyo?"

Placing her hands before her, Ukyo bowed down deeply in formal apology. "Forgive me, Akane-chan. I shouldn't have done what I did. I should have accepted my defeat with grace and dignity. I'm really sorry, for everything."

Completely flabbergasted, Akane stared down at Ukyo and wondered if she was dreaming. It was true that of all Ranma's 'girls' who had attacked during the wedding, Ukyo's actions were the ones that had emotionally hurt her - and Ranma - the most. Shampoo and Kodachi were expected to do such things, but Ukyo was... well, she was the nicer one. Ranma's childhood friend and, when they weren't bickering over Ranma, she was friendly to Akane too. She was the only one that Akane could actually stand for long periods of time and deep down, Akane knew that if Ranma ended up choosing one of the other girls then she would much, much rather he chose Ukyo over the other two. Akane was jealous of Ranma's childhood friend as well, since Ukyo was very pretty - when she wasn't in boy mode – and an excellent cook as well as a good martial artist, and certainly better at expressing her affections. All these thoughts swirled through her mind as she looked down at her rival and she realised this was no trick, no ploy to wriggle into Ranma's affections, Ukyo's words rang with sincerity.

"Ukyo, I... I... shouldn't you be asking Ranma?" she stuttered, not sure how to respond.

"My crime was against you more than Rach... Ranma," Ukyo's reply was muffled since she still had her face hidden. "You won, Akane. He loves you, probably was in love with you before I even arrived, but I just couldn't accept the truth then. I have to now... I still... I still love him," she admitted, not able to see Akane stiffen at those words, but Ukyo was sure she was. "But I was him to be happy and if you're the one who makes him happy then I've got to accept the inevitable."

Ukyo lifted her face now and Akane saw the tears staining Ukyo's smooth cheeks and the deep sadness in her eyes. "In l-love w-with me b-before...? Do-don't be silly!" Akane blushed and looked around the room as if she expected Ranma to suddenly pop out and laugh at her. "He was always saying you were cute and I... I wasn't!"

"Ranma's never really been the best when it comes to expressing himself romantically," Ukyo smiled sadly. "In some respects his mind is still stuck in childhood when a boy expressed his affection for a girl by teasing her and pulling her hair. No matter when it happened, Akane-chan, he loves you now," she bowed her head again. "So forgive me for not accepting reality. I didn't realise how stupid and desperate I was acting until after... well, you know..."

"Oh Ukyo..." Akane sagged then, sitting down on her bed with a thump. She suddenly felt very sad. Ukyo was a nice person really and had suffered enough; it didn't seem fair that she was left alone. With that thought the last of Akane's anger vanished completely. "I forgive you, I do, so please get up? And I'm sure Ranma won't be angry with you... now," of course Ranma was more peeved about losing the chance to be all man again rather than the wedding getting destroyed, but he had definitely been annoyed by the attack on her. However, Akane was sure that if Ukyo apologised then Ranma would be happy to forgive her. He did actually value his friends and Ukyo was the only one from his childhood.

Ukyo made a vague sound as she got up and then reached inside her shirt to bring out a thin, worn leather wallet. "Thanks, Akane-chan. Can you give this to Ranma when he gets home?" she asked, holding it out to Akane.

"Um... sure," Akane took it, wondering what was inside.

"You can look if you want," there was a tinge of amusement in Ukyo's tone.

Akane flushed slightly and opened the wallet. Inside was an old photograph of Ranma and Ukyo when they were children. Their happiness in each other's company and their youthful eagerness burst out of the picture, bringing a smile to Akane's face that was both tender and worried. "Why?" she asked.

"So he has something to remember," Ukyo said cryptically and started to climb back out of the window. "Farewell Akane-chan. I wish we could have been proper friends..."

"Ukyo! Wait! What do you mean farewell?" Akane jumped up and grabbed the other girl's elbow. "Are you leaving?"

Ukyo turned sad eyes to her. "Yes," her voice cracked slightly. "I have to, because even though I've accepted that you and Ranma are... together... it still hurts, very much, and I can't just hang around and act normal. Do you understand?"

Akane swallowed. "Yes..." she murmured, letting go of Ukyo and her gaze dropping down to the carpet. "I'm sorry," she really wished that she could do more for Ukyo than just give an old photo to Ranma.

Ukyo opened her mouth to say something else, but then closed it with a little shake of her head. There wasn't anything more to be said and she had an appointment to keep. With only the lightest of sounds she slipped out of the window and hopped down from the balcony, quickly exiting the dojo grounds.

Akane watched her go, holding the leather wallet tightly and feeling a prickle of tears in her eyes. "I wish we could have been proper friends too, Ukyo..."

* * *

To be continued 


	2. Chapter 2

Tabula Rasa

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Orla

All rights reserved to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz and a bunch of other talented people who are not me.

Set shortly after the final events in the Ranma 1/2 manga

Chapter one: The vanishing chef 

xxxx

The dawn was spreading pale pink fingers across a lightening sky as Ukyo made her way to the appointed place. All the preparations were in place and if the other party held up their end of the bargain then she would be out of Nerima in less than an hour.

Spying the one she sought, she paused and exhaled slowly as all the doubts pecked at her mind again. Was she really doing the right thing?

"Are you sure?"

She twitched as the speaker voiced her doubts and her eyes narrowed. "Yes," Ukyo said firmly. "I want to do this, I have to do it!"

"I admit I am surprised you asked me, of all people, to help me. That is why I bade you sleep on the matter, but clearly you are resolved."

Ukyo swallowed. "I am, I do have some concerns, but who wouldn't?" she shook her head. "Let's can the talk and do this thing."

"Very well. Prepare for a new life, Ukyo Kuonji!"

Less than fifteen minutes later the area was empty aside from curious bubbles dissolving on the grass.

xxxx

Hands stuffed into his pockets, Ranma Saotome frowned as he walked along the top of the fence. His fingers brushed the worn leather wallet containing the picture of himself and Ukyo that Akane had presented to him the night before. What did Ukyo mean by thinking she could just run away? She was clearly being melodramatic and Ranma didn't like it one bit. Plus he was feeling a tad guilty. Perhaps he could have said something to his oldest friend earlier, even if it was just to confront her about what had happened at the wedding that never was.

Truth be told, Ranma was glad when he didn't see Ukyo immediately after the event. He was still angry over the outcome. The chance to be all man was in his grasp and then what happened? All hell broke lose and the chance was lost! He should have expected it really, ever since he'd been cursed his life was incredibly complicated and full of people trying to kill him or marry him – or both! It really was another side effect to the Jusenkyo curse. It didn't just change your body and make you a magnet for water, but it also created more complications in life.

Still, expecting something to happen didn't mean he was any less annoyed about it. Ranma was glad that Ukyo apologised to Akane, which was more than any of the others had done, and he was starting to think he could get his friendship with the chef back on track. He missed her okonomiyaki anyway, and when she wasn't chasing him amorously, she was fun person to be around. Then Akane dropped the bomb about Ukyo telling her that she was leaving. Ranma was ready to run straight off to Ucchans, but Akane suggested he be sensitive to Ukyo's feelings and wait until the next morning, which Ranma reluctantly agreed to do.

Rounding the corner, Ranma jumped down from the fence and jogged towards the restaurant, only to screech to a halt when something new met his eyes.

Right in front of Ranma's eyes was something he really didn't want to believe: a real estate sign with SOLD plastered on it was planted in front of Ukyo's restaurant. Sitting beside the sign was a very depressed and apparently female ninja. Both were incredibly disturbing, the sign because it indicated Ukyo really had left for good and the ninja because Ranma knew Konatsu was actually male and no man should cry that hard, especially when wearing mascara. Swallowing, Ranma stared very hard at the sign, willing it to be Tsubasa Kuranai as he would welcome the crazy cross dressing disguise artist more than a real sold sign, but despite his hopes, the sign didn't start yelling 'Charge!' and moving, so he turned his attention to Konatsu who didn't even seem to have registered his presence. Apart from the obvious signs of distress, this lack of awareness was a clear sign the ninja was extremely depressed.

"Konatsu? Hey, Konatsu!" Ranma reached out a shook the female raised man's shoulder.

Konatsu raised a tragic gaze to Ranma's face, his cheeks liberally streaked with mascara and his eyes red and puffy. "Oh... Ranma-san..."

"Where's Ucchan, Konatsu?"

Tears welled up in the ninja's eyes and he sniffed. "I-I don't know!" Konatsu wailed. "She sold everything and then left early this morning, but wouldn't let me follow! Said she would hate me forever if I tried!"

Ranma backed away, unnerved by the tears as much as if this was a real girl crying in front of him. His mind grappled with the knowledge that if he'd listened to his impulse to see Ukyo yesterday then he might have stopped her. Or maybe not. Selling her beloved restaurant indicated she was quite set on leaving and Ukyo was a stubborn individual, one only had to think of her dogged determination to track him down to know that! He looked up at the closed building and then, without really thinking, forced open the locked door so he could enter. Behind him, Konatsu gave a shocked, sobbing gasp, but he didn't stop Ranma going in.

Only a few days ago 'Ucchan's Okonomiyaki' was bustling, the air heavy with the smell of cooking okonomiyaki and the chatter of customers while Ukyo's cheerful welcome rang out frequently. Now the place was echoingly empty, not even the posters and menus Ukyo had used were lining the walls. As Ranma looked at the now-empty grill, his minds eye conjured up his friend standing behind it, her hands moving in a blur and her face bright with accomplishment as she created her masterpieces. He felt a prickling sensation behind his eyes and swallowed hard against a lump in his throat. No way was he going to cry about this! Stupid Ukyo! She didn't have to leave!

Scowling, Ranma stomped up the stairs to the tiny apartment where Ukyo had lived. It was basically a one room flat with a tiny bathroom that only had space for a toilet, small basin and a shower. Ukyo always used to like going to the local public baths to wash, frequently lamenting the cramped space of her bathroom but acknowledging there wasn't much she could do about it since she couldn't afford more. Standing in the doorway, Ranma swept his gaze around the tatami mat room. It looked far bigger now Ukyo's furniture wasn't cluttering up the space, and far too empty.

Except for the envelope in the middle of the floor with his name on it.

Removing his shoes, Ranma entered and picked up the envelope, his scowl changing to a puzzled frown as he opened the letter.

"_Dear Ranchan (the letter began),_

_I knew you would break in to see for yourself, so I decided that I owed you this letter at least._

_I'm sure you're annoyed with me for leaving without telling you where I'm going or even saying goodbye in person. It cowardly of me, but I didn't feel I could face you without crying and basically making a jackass of myself. After all, that's what I did when I was six and it's not a flattering way to be remembered. Besides, I didn't want to make you any more uncomfortable than I already have in the past._

_I'm sorry that I couldn't just be your friend, as you always regarded me (and deep down I knew it). I'm sorry I tried to force you to feel something you didn't and inadvertently ended up pushing you away so many times. I never meant to fall in love with you, not after wanting to hate you for so long, but I couldn't help it and it's because I love you that I have to leave. I want you to be happy, Ranchan, and if Kane is the one that makes you happy then I have to accept that, but it's damn hard._

_I'm sure you feel I'm being over dramatic, but think about your own actions whenever Akane was with some guy. In particular, think about the time when I set Ryoga and Akane up on a date and you pretended to be Ryoga's fiancée to mess things up. It's no different from the times I (or Shampoo or Kodachi) meddled when you were doing something with Akane. We were acting because of jealousy and that's an ugly, irrational emotion. Everytime I did something to mess things up between you and Akane, part of me hated myself, but I couldn't stop, and the more I realised how you really felt, the more this desperate jealousy propelled me on and that's how I ended up acting so terribly at the wedding. I knew then that I'd gone too far, but emotions aren't always easy to control and I was scared that next time I'd do something even worse - and I don't want you to hate me, Ranchan._

_So, in the end, I decided it was better to go and make a new life for myself. I hope you'll forgive me and remember that I love you and hope you have a long, happy and wonderful life._

_Your friend,_

_Ucchan_

_PS: Having written all of the above, I felt I should add that you shouldn't think you're entirely blameless in all of this. If you'd been just a little more upfront with me then perhaps things might have been different. I know most of the time you feel like you're acting out of the best of intentions, but you do USE people to get what you want, Ranma. Oh, yes, so do I, but at least I admit it! When you once asked me if I loved you, do you have any idea what sort of hope that raised in me? And then how crushing it was to find out you were only doing it because you wanted__affirmation of your desirability! If you'd been straight with me from the start regarding that spoiled okonomiyaki sauce then things would have been sorted out so much sooner! So, for Akane-chan's sake, please, PLEASE consider cutting ties with Shampoo at the very least. Kodachi is probably a lost cause, but Shampoo has the potential for reason... maybe._

_PPS: In case you were wondering, I have not turned Konatsu off without a yen. I've given him all the back pay he rightfully earned working for me (yes, that is more than 5 yen an hour!) and two weeks pay in advance. However, he may need a push to move on and please, tell him I'm sorry."_

By the time he finished reading, Ranma felt a mixture of annoyance, guilt and sorrow. Had Ukyo been standing in front of him, telling him all this, then he would have reacted defensively, since he never liked admitting he was wrong about anything. It was impossible to yell at words on paper, however, and therefore he was forced to admit his friend had a point, but he had no idea how go about cutting ties with Shampoo (Kodachi was definitely a lost cause) and he couldn't help the indignant thought that Ukyo really didn't understand the whole issue.

"But she's gone and I can't explain..." his eyes prickled again and he crumpled the letter in his hand before turning abruptly on his heels, leaving the flat and running out of the restaurant. Back outside, Ranma exhaled loudly and looked down at Konatsu who returned his gaze with an anxious look. Ranma shifted uncomfortably, the feelings of guilt Ukyo's letter had roused intensifying.

"Er... Konatsu... you can't really stay here, you know."

The kunoichi sniffed. "I-I don't want to leave Ukyo-sama..." he wiped eyes that were already welling up with tears. "I'll camp out here until she comes back."

"But she might..." Ranma sighed and looked down at the letter in his hand. "She said she was sorry and… she wanted you to come with me," he lied suddenly. If he couldn't put things right with Ukyo, then at least he could help Konatsu out. Maybe a few days in the Tendo dojo would cheer him up and allow him to move on with life. "You don't want to defy her parting wish, do you?"

"I..." Konatsu was clearly torn, but after five minutes of internal struggle that was dotted with the occasional outburst, he nodded. "No, I do not, if it was her wish then I will come with you, Ranma-san," he said with a meek little sigh.

"Great!" Ranma pretended enthusiasm and once Konatsu was on his feet, his two bags in hand, Ranma led him away, his mind churning with emotions, ways to persuade the Tendos to accept a new houseguest and above all thoughts of Ukyo.

Ucchan, where did you go?

xxxx

"Today is a very good day, great-grandmother!" announced Shampoo, bouncing into the Nekohanten kitchen after finishing a delivery.

Cologne looked up from the ramen she was cooking and raised an eyebrow. "Oh really, great-granddaughter? Why is that?"

"I went past that annoying spatula girl's restaurant and saw it's closed up and sold! Now she will no longer bother Ranma!" Shampoo giggled, almost dancing around the room in joy. "Not that she was ever much of a threat," she added, preening and gazing at her lovely reflection in one of the saucepans hanging on the wall.

"She was more of a threat than you realised, Shampoo," Cologne advised softly.

"How?" Shampoo clearly didn't believe the elder. "She dressed like a boy all the time! My husband prefers women!"

"Ukyo Kuonji was his childhood friend, great granddaughter, and those ties have great weight. Ranma might not have noticed her feminine charm, but he was more comfortable around her than with most other girls and even despite his affection for Akane Tendo, Ukyo's claim on his affections was strong."

Shampoo considered this in silence, her brow wrinkled in a thoughtful frown. "Well..." she said finally. "I'm glad she's gone. Now Ranma can forget her and there is only Akane Tendo to get rid of, and I can do that!" she said with confidence, flashing her great grandmother a bright smile before bounding out of the kitchen.

Cologne watched her go with a slight smile and then turned back to the ramen that was bubbling away. "If that was so easy, I would not have to go through so much trouble," she remarked with a shake of her head. "Still, Ukyo's departure is definitely one obstacle out of the way."

To be continued… 

Notes:

Kunoichi – female ninja.

Not very much Ukyo in person, but she will definitely show up for longer in the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Tabula Rasa

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Orla

All rights reserved to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz and a bunch of other talented people who are not me.

Set shortly after the final events in the Ranma 1/2 manga

Chapter Two: A fateful meeting 

_Why me? Why do these things always happen to ME?_ Ryoga Hibiki grumbled mentally as he trudged through the back streets of some random Japanese city, dragging his pack behind him. It was bad enough that he was lost, again, but five minutes ago some kids ran by with water pistols and a stray squirt hit him in the face, triggering his Jusenkyo curse. So, instead of a travel stained young man in shabby clothes with a massive black pack topped with a red umbrella on his back, he was now a rather grubby little black piglet with a bandanna round his neck and dragging a massive black pack topped with a red umbrella. He was hoping to stumble on a public bathhouse or something that involved hot water to change back, but considering his current run of luck, Ryoga wasn't placing bets.

_This is a cruel world..._

"Ooooh! Look at the little piggy!"

_A really, really cruel world with a sick sense of humour._

Hampered by his pack, which he didn't really want to abandon anyway, Ryoga was unable to avoid the schoolgirls who clustered around him. While most boys would enjoy being the centre of female attention, Ryoga hated it and this was yet another reason that he hated his curse. Oh, there was some part of him that enjoyed being petted and cuddled, but that was only because he rarely got any attention like that in his human form and therefore the admiration only served to remind him of how pathetic he really was. Only Akari, the pretty sumo pig breeder liked him both ways, but even that didn't make him completely happy.

"It's so cute, I want to pick him up!"

"Kyoko - ewww! It's so dirty!"

"Aren't most pigs?"

As the girls giggled, Ryoga wished the ground would open up and eat him. Life really sucked.

"What a bunch of wimps you are!"

A new voice joined in, one that was incredibly familiar and broke through the depression clouding Ryoga's mind. He looked up and was met with the sight of long shapely legs and lacy blue knickers. Ack!_I'm looking up a girl's skirt!_ "Bwee!" his snout dripped blood as his piggy cheeks heated up and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to back away, but suddenly he was picked up by a pair of slender but strong hands.

"Oh you poor little thing, your snout is all bloody! What happened?" the familiar voice cooed gently.

Ryoga couldn't help feeling that the gentle tones didn't sound quite right, not when referring to HIM at least. Opening his eyes, they nearly bugged out when he realised who he was staring at. Dark chestnut hair crested by a white bow, sparkling eyes... it was Ukyo Kuonji, missing from Nerima for three months was holding him and smiling so sweetly! "Bu? Bwee!" he squealed excitedly, genuinely pleased to see the okonomiyaki chef whom he considered to be something close to a friend despite the frequent application of her large spatula to his head. At least she could be counted on to recognise 'P-chan'!

He was also glad to see her for a different reason. Two months ago he wandered into Nerima and visited Akane. Ranma was not around at the time and on inquiry, Akane told him that Ranma was searching for Ukyo who had vanished without a trace a month earlier. She confessed to feeling sad and guilty about the chef's departure, adding that she wished she could have done something to help a girl that she actually liked when they weren't fighting.

'Ranma's very worried,' Akane had told him. 'He even went back to the place where he first met Ukyo, but there's no trace of her, but he did find out that her father died a three months before she came to Nerima. We never knew, Ryoga! She must have been so sad and lonely, but we never tried to find out what happened to her parents! I feel awful...'

Hating to see his Akane-san so down, Ryoga promised to keep an eye out for Ukyo in his wanderings and was rewarded with a grateful smile.

And now he had found the missing girl! Akane-san would be so happy! So would Ranma, but that wasn't so important.

Ukyo chuckled at the piglet's enthusiastic squeals. "I think he likes me," she said, cradling him in her arms, heedless of the mud transferred to her clothes.

"Ukyo-chan, sometimes you are so strange!" the girl named Kyoko laughed and shook her head. "What about this pack it was dragging?"

"That's so weird, why would a piglet be dragging a pack?" another girl mused.

"Maybe he belongs to someone," Ukyo suggested. "I'll take piggy and the pack home since my place is close by and see if I can find any information about the owner. That okay with you, Mr Piggy?" she tickled the piglet's stomach and grinned.

Ryoga was a bit confused that she hadn't immediately identified him or even the pack, which she had seen him carry a number of times. That red umbrella was rather distinctive, but he concluded she was trying to avoid the need for explanations to her new friends and therefore just made a little affirmative grunt.

"Okay then..." Ukyo bent down to pick up the pack and let out a grunt of her own when she couldn't get it to budge. "What the hell is in this thing? Rocks?"

The other girls moved to help and finally, with a combined effort and three girls carrying the pack, they were on their way. As he was carried in Ukyo's arms, Ryoga noted that on turning the corner they were on a five-way intersection. He spied a Tsutaya store on one corner, a bike park, and the entrance to a subway station with 'Imazato' on the sign. This didn't really help him identify where he was, but the accents of the other girls suggested he was in the Kansai region, maybe even Osaka city. The group crossed the road and passed by a Lawson convenience store as they went a little way up one road before turning left into an apartment complex.

"I'm got it from here," Ukyo thanked the others and then dragged the pack along the ground as she - and Ryoga - entered the elevator. "I hope whoever owns this pack appreciates all my effort, sugar!" she commented to him as the elevator ascended.

"Bwee!"_I do!_

Five floors up and the elevator doors opened. Ukyo dragged the pack down to the last door and then shifted the piglet under one arm to reach into her bag for her keys. As she brought him inside, Ryoga noticed the apartment was quite small. Just past the small genkan where Ukyo removed her shoes, he spotted a bathroom/laundry to the left and a toilet to the right. Up ahead was a corridor that was also the kitchen and that terminated with a large tatami mat room, which clearly served as both a bedroom and a living room.

Leaving the pack in the genkan, Ukyo carried Ryoga to the kitchen and then set him down. With a sigh she looked down at the mud on her clothes and he realised, with mild surprise, that she was wearing a girl's school uniform. The surprise stemmed not only from never seeing her in such an outfit before, but also due to a conversation he recalled when they were at Atami after winning the onsen race. He'd accidentally blurted out the question of why she continued to wear a boy's uniform when Ranma and everyone else knew she was a girl.

Ukyo had laughed and smiled wryly. 'Well, I suppose I'm used to it,' she confessed, pursing her lips. 'Plus doing martial arts in a skirt is just plain annoying! I don't have any desire to flash my underwear when I kick or snag my skirt on the edge of my spatula!'

It made sense then, although Ryoga's brain had shut down somewhat after the mention of underwear flashing so he didn't bring up the subject again. Besides, it was a bit impolite to discuss a girl's clothes. But now, seeing her in this uniform AND noticing that she wasn't carrying her mega spatula, he really wanted to ask why she'd changed her mind.

He was so busy ruminating on this question, that he didn't pay much attention as she started wiping off the mud on him with a damp cloth before picking him up and entering the bathroom. When the change of location impacted on his mind, Ryoga was then stunned by seeing her strip off the besmirched uniform and toss it in the washing machine in the corner. He didn't mean to look at Ukyo in her underwear, but it happened before he could avert his eyes. "Buu..."

"All right, honey, let's get you properly clean!" Ukyo turned on the tap and started filling a wash bowl with water. "Here we go!"

He was just shaking his head to clear it of the impure thoughts when a wave of water sloshed over his head.

Hot water.

_Oh shit..._

Ukyo blinked three times and very slowly.

Ryoga waited for his doom to descend. Eyes cast down, his face tomato red, his body hunched, he steeled himself for the scream, the accusations and worst of all, the walloping with an oversized kitchen utensil.

The silence stretched out and when no screams or wallops were forthcoming, Ryoga dared to look up.

Ukyo was simply staring at him, very intently, with wide, fascinated eyes. "H... h... how?" she finally stuttered. "Pig... man... how?"

Something wasn't right here. First Ukyo hadn't recognised P-Chan and now she wasn't connecting the whole water transformation thing. Ryoga swallowed. "I- I have a Jusenkyo curse..." he whispered.

She frowned, clearly not understanding. "What?"

He frowned back, equally confused. "Jusenkyo," Ryoga repeated slowly, his voice louder. "Cursed springs in China? If you fall into one then you take the body of whatever drowned there when splashed with cold water and revert back to normal with hot water?"

Her eyes flashed with what he took for understanding and she lunged suddenly to the side. Here it comes... oh well, I deserve it... I mean, I'm a pig, and naked... in her bathroom! "Uky... BWEE!!!" there was a sudden sharp squeal instead of words as cold water suddenly hit him at full force from the shower attachment Ukyo held in her hand.

"Oh... my... god..." she reached out a trembling finger to touch the wet piglet. "It's true!"

"Bwee! Bwe... that's what I was saying!" with the abrupt application of hot water, what Ryoga had been saying in pig came out in Japanese. He blinked, and then frantically grabbed a bandanna to cover himself. "Hey! You know... bweee!!!"

Ukyo giggled as she turned off the cold water. "It's just incredible!" she turned the tap to hot and blasted the piglet again, watching in fascination as the pig became a man, again.

"STOP THAT! I'M NOT A TOY!" Ryoga roared finally, his irritation overcoming his embarrassment.

She took a step back, the shower head clattering to the floor, and her cheeks reddened. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get carried away. It was just so amazing..."

Amazing? That was hardly the word Ryoga would associate with his change, but then her gaze slid down and he realised he was standing up - and the bandanna wasn't covering anything.

"ACK!" they both yelped at the same time. Ukyo dashed out of the bathroom, sliding the door shut behind her with a hard thump as Ryoga tried to cover himself up again.

"S-sorry!" he stuttered, so red in the face now that it was a wonder he wasn't steaming.

"I-it's not your fault," she said from the other side of the door, the tone in her voice indicating that she was blushing as badly as he was. "Um... so, do you own that pack then?"

"Y-yeah."

"Spare clothes in there?"

"Y-yeah."

"Right."

Ryoga heard the sound of flaps being opened and zippers unzipped. He then heard rummaging sounds and a wave of mortification hit on top of what he was already feeling. A girl was looking through his pack! She would see his underwear, maybe those unsent love letters...

"Pooh! When did you last wash your clothes? Hmm. Well, these look all right."

The bathroom door slid open a notch and Ukyo's hand shoved a black t-shirt, trousers and (horror of horrors) a pair of boxer shorts inside. Ryoga groaned and sank his head into his hands. Fate truly hated him.

"Are you all right, sugar?" a towel joined the clothing.

He gulped. "Yes, yes, thank you."

After taking some time to dry off and calm his nerves, Ryoga got dressed and exited the bathroom. At least she wasn't driving him out of the apartment with a ton of small spatulas whizzing past his head. It was odd Ukyo was acting so calm and nice about everything, considering that she knew P-chan was Akane's pet piglet, but he wasn't about complain. Although, he was definitely puzzled that she didn't seem to remember anything about Jusenkyo when he knew she was aware of Ranma's curse and how it happened.

His gaze slid to his pack, which was still in the genkan, and a strangled sound escaped when he noticed that his clothing was lying on the floor, sorted into a neat pile.

"Hope you don't mind, but I didn't want to repack in case you had some sort of system," Ukyo said from behind him. She was smiling when he turned to look at her, and - thankfully - wearing jeans and a t-shirt. "Come into the main room," she waved for him to follow.

The main room was sparsely furnished with a bookcase, a TV, some pot plants, a low table and cushions to sit on. He saw her battle spatula resting on a bracket on the wall, next to a second girl's school uniform on a hanger, and frowned slightly before turning to face her. Ukyo smiled at him and nodded at the cushion she'd placed on the opposite side of the table to her. "Have some tea," she offered and he noticed the teapot and cups resting on the table.

"Ukyo, why are you being so nice to me?" Ryoga blurted out.

Her eyes narrowed. "Hey, just because you saw more of me than you should have done is no need to get familiar! Especially when I don't even know your name yet!"

"What?" Ryoga wobbled slightly on his feet and then sat down abruptly. He stared at her, completely perplexed. Familiar? But they knew each other! "I-I'm Ryoga Hibiki," he spoke slowly, feeling as if he was in some weird dream. Was he that forgettable that after three months she didn't remember him at all? "I'm sorry, Ukyo... san, I didn't mean to offend you."

She grinned then. "If I wasn't outraged and offended by you being naked in my bathroom I'm not likely to be that offended now!"

"Please forgive me," Ryoga bowed his head, blushing violently again. "I never meant to lie to you! I'll leave, right away..."

"Calm down!" Ukyo's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist before he could leap to his feet and bolt. "Look, how could you tell me about your curse when you were a pig? I can't understand 'bwee!' so it's not your fault. Besides, I didn't behave very well by changing you back and forth like I did. I mean... it must be rather painful, right? So, let's just forget the bathroom thing, eh?"

"Really?" Ryoga looked at her with incredulous hope. He always knew Ukyo was friendly, but he never thought she was such a nice, forgiving person!

"Really," Ukyo confirmed and then looked at him critically. "You're rather prone to dramatics, aren't you, Ryoga-kun?" she let go of his wrist and poured him some tea. "So where are you from? By the looks of it, you've been traveling for a while. Don't you go to school?"

"Really," Ukyo confirmed and then looked at him critically. "You're rather prone to dramatics, aren't you, Ryoga-kun?" she let go of his wrist and poured him some tea. "So tell me, how did it happen? Where is this Jusenkyo place anyway? Did you go there deliberately? I can't work out why you would want to turn into a pig though..."

"I don't!" Ryoga cried. "I hate what happened, it was all an accident and if I could be free of this, then I would!" taking a couple of deep breaths and a sip of tea, he managed to calm down. "Sorry, I just... it's bad enough I have issues with my sense of direction, but this curse on top of everything else..." once more he mentally cursed Ranma for being so careless that day in Jusenkyo. If he'd just looked where he was going then Ryoga might never have ended up in that damn spring.

"What's the problem with your sense of direction?" Ukyo leaned on the table, a fascinated expression on her face.

Ryoga gaped at her. How could she forget his terrible sense of direction? He remembered her yelling at him several times about what a directionless idiot he was. "I... I get lost easily," he stuttered finally, feeling wretched. He really WAS forgettable!

"That must be rough," she commented in a sympathetic tone. "All right, so is that how you went to this Jusenkyo place? You got lost?"

"Well... not exactly," Ryoga decided that he might as well continue answering her questions. Maybe if she heard his side of the story, she wouldn't idolise that idiot Ranma so much. "I was tracking down Ranma and since he went to Jusenkyo, I ended up there as well and thanks to him, fell in the spring of drowned black piglet."

"Who's Ranma?"

His eyes almost bugged out of his head and Ukyo's brows rose up, obviously surprised by his shocked reaction. "Uh..."

"Ranma is... Ranma Saotome."

"Okay... means nothing to me, but go on," Ukyo shrugged and smiled at him brightly.

He had to be dreaming. How could she forget Ranma after relentlessly pursuing him all these years? A chill ran down Ryoga's spine. This was more than just him being forgettable, something was really wrong with Ukyo. "Hey... Ukyo-san, did you hit your head recently?"

One hand went up to pat her forehead as she regarded him with wary confusion, her bright smile vanishing. "Not that I can recall, why? Is there a bump or something on my head?"

"No... it's just..." _You don't remember Ranma!_ Ryoga wanted to scream out the words, but he held them back, afraid of what might happen. "Are you sure the name Ranma Saotome means nothing to you?"

"Sorry, sugar, not ringing any bells. Should it?"

_He's only the one you spent ten years of your life pursuing and then about one year wanting to marry!_ Ryoga wanted to yell, but he managed to control himself. He might not be the brightest person around, but it was obvious she was suffering from a severe memory lapse and he didn't want to stress her by pointing this out, especially when he wasn't sure what one was supposed to do for people with amnesia. Perhaps if she was face to face with Ranma then she would remember._ Although perhaps she's better off not remembering that Casanova!_

"Hellllooooo! Earth to Ryoga-kun!" Ukyo waved a hand in front of his face.

Ryoga jumped slightly and blinked. "Um, sorry, I just..."

"Spaced out a bit?" Ukyo shot him a teasing grin. "Is this Ranma fellow famous or something?"

"Er... in a way, yeah... he's a martial artist and..." _infamous for being chased by multiple women and not deserving their affection!_

"Oh, well... I don't really read up on martial artists, so maybe that's why I've never heard of him. Anyway, why were you tracking him and how did he end up shoving you in this spring of drowned piglet? You know, if I hadn't seen you transform, I wouldn't be able to believe there is such a thing!"

"It's supposed to be a secret place," Ryoga comment dryly. Considering how many cursed people he knew, Jusenkyo really was one of the worst kept secrets. "As for why I was following Saotome… he ran out on a man to man fight!" he clenched his fists and scowled. "So what if it took me four days to find the vacant lot! He should have waited!"

Ukyo's eyebrows shot up. "Four days? Where was this vacant lot – in the next town?"

Ryoga's face reddened. "Ah… it was… er… behind my house," he muttered.

There was a short silence before she spoke again. "You weren't kidding about that bad sense of direction, were you, sugar?" Ukyo shook her head. "All right, so you followed this guy to China. How did he cause you to fall into the spring?"

Still blushing furiously, Ryoga explained how he'd stumbled on Jusenkyo and then nearly knocked off the cliff by Ranma's father only to be hit by Ranma himself. "And then… and then…" he trembled, the memory of what happened next still hideous even after a year. "I was picked up, hung by one hind leg and suspended over a vat of boiling water!"

"And this was before you knew that hot water would cure you?"

Ukyo's shocked and sympathetic tones brought Ryoga out of the angry memories and he glanced him, surprised to see she was leaning forward with an expression that mirrored her tone. "Y-yes," he stuttered, unnerved at seeing Ukyo Kuonji look at him in such a way. Ranma was the only one received such tender looks. "I-I thought I was going to be cooked and eaten."

"Ugh… no wonder you're angry at this Ranma guy. Does he know what happened?"

"Yes, I told him everything."

"And did he apologise?"

Ryoga scowled "Not really," he grumbled. "He tried to avoid responsibility and then turned me back into a pig to avoid just retribution before chasing me down the hall, throwing things at me," he forgot to mention that the 'just retribution' he planned to inflict at the time was death and Ranma's anger was roused by P-chan's bite.

"He sounds like a jerk," Ukyo pronounced. "Even if knocking you into the spring was an accident and he wasn't the one who tried to cook you, he could have been nicer."

Ryoga gaped at her. Having never met Ukyo when she was angry with Ranma and intent on beating him into a pulp, he couldn't recall any point when she actually criticized her fiancé. Before he could say anything, she glanced up at the clock and swore suddenly. "Damn! I'm going to be late!" she jumped up and bolted over to a cupboard, pulling out a happi coat.

"Late?"

"For work," she tossed him a smile over her shoulder. "I work at an okonomiyaki restaurant most nights. Gotta pay the rent somehow!"

"You don't own a restaurant?" Ryoga knew how much 'Ucchans' meant to her and was once again struck by how differently she was acting.

"I did once, when I was living in Nerima ward in Tokyo," she said casually, pulling on the happi coat over the t-shirt she was wearing and fastening it. "Dad had died recently and I just... needed to get away, I guess. The school I went to was a bit crazy, the principal kept trying to cut everyone's hair in really ugly styles and there was this senior who was kendo crazy or something..." she shrugged. "But I don't remember very much about it. Anyway, running the restaurant was really time-consuming, my studies were suffering, plus the owner, Ohata sensei, is a brilliant chef, I can learn a lot from him."

She remembers Nerima and 'Ucchans', but not anything about Ranma? This isn't ordinary amnesia!

"Ryoga-kun?"

Ryoga jerked his head up. "Uh yes?"

Ukyo looked hopefully at him. "Why don't you stay here? I'd feel bad if I turned you out when you don't have anywhere to go. I'll even bring back some okonomiyaki and you're welcome to use the washing machine to wash your clothes, in fact… I insist!"

"What? But… but… you… I… this is one room… uhh…." Ryoga flailed and blushed violently.

She laughed. "You're so sweet, worrying about my reputation, but really it's all right and besides…" Ukyo suddenly threw her cold tea at him.

"But… bwwweee!" _Not again!_ Ryoga glared up at her, squealing his annoyance.

Ukyo smirked and leaned down. "You can't do my reputation much harm as a piggy, right?"

xxx

Lying back on her futon, Ukyo snuggled under the covers and peeked over at the little piglet that was curled up in the corner of the room, covered by one of her spare blankets. Ryoga Hibiki was a strange boy. He was certainly very excitable, clearly lacking in some social graces, but still polite and quite sweet really. He was also obviously lonely and seemed unused to kindness so with his sense of direction and his curse, it was no wonder he was unsure when she was nice to him. Yes, he was definitely one of the most interesting people she'd met in a while and easy on the eyes too. Ukyo blushed as her mind threw up images of Ryoga in the bathroom.

Until now the idea of flirting with a boy or even fancying one made her skin crawl. She didn't know why, but despite the multitude of love letters received since starting at Imazato High School, Ukyo was against the prospect of dating. When she saw Ryoga, however, she felt a ping of happiness and liked him immediately, a feeling that continued even despite the curse and his whacky behaviour. There was something about him that gave her a sense of familiarity, which was odd considering she didn't remember meeting him before.

It was that feeling that prompted her to get him to stay and she was glad he agreed, despite not being too thrilled about her insistence that he turn into a pig overnight. She actually thought he might leave while she was at work, but she came home to find him still at the apartment, making tea and studying from one of the multitude of books she'd seen in his pack earlier. He even took up her offer – which was more of an order – to clean his clothes. Over dinner, she drew out tales of his travels from him and descriptions of the various martial art moves he knew, some of which seemed quite bizarre – like the breaking point technique and the ki blast based on depression. Occasionally he would pause in his tale and look at her with a searching anxious expression, giving her the distinct impression that he was editing his stories for some reason.

"This has been a very weird day," Ukyo mumbled sleepily, turning over and snuggling under the covers. Perhaps tomorrow she could convince him to explain why he gave her those anxious looks and acted surprised when she was nice to him. Yawning, she closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

_She was standing in that street again, dark clouds gathering overhead, and she wore the chef's uniform, her hair pulled back in a white ribbon and her father's huge spatula strapped to her back. As usual, no one else was around, but she could hear footsteps ahead and knew if she could just find that person then everything would be all right._

_Ukyo started to run, following the sound of the footsteps, but they were always ahead. Sometimes she glimpsed the person's back – a red shirt and dark hair – and knew she was following a boy. She desperately wanted to see his face, but even when she called out, he wouldn't look around. Tears escaped, flowing down her cheeks as sobs worked their way out of her throat. "Please… please… wait for me… please…"_

"Please wait!" Ukyo woke abruptly, still sobbing, and sat up. Wiping her cheeks with the heel of her hand, she wondered for the hundredth time what this reoccurring dream meant. God… I feel so lonely…

"Buu?"

She looked down into the worried eyes of a piglet, his huge eyes visible even in the dim light. "Ryoga-kun…"

He nudged her side with his snout, clearly trying to reassure her, and Ukyo let out a watery chuckle. "Thanks, sugar…" she picked him up then and cuddled him close, something she would never have dreamed of doing had he been human. "It was just a bad dream…" she sighed and lay back down, still holding him. "I'm looking for someone, but he keeps running away and I feel so sad and lonely. I wish I knew why I have it," her hands stroked the little pig's head. "Usually it takes a while for me to calm down, but I feel better having you around tonight. Thanks for staying."

"Bii!" he seemed to be saying it was all right and she smiled, closing her eyes again and letting sleep claim her again.

To be continued

Author's note:

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I'm glad you're enjoying the story! The title 'Tabula Rasa' means 'Blank Slate' in Latin, and I'm sure you can guess that's referring to Ukyo's memory loss. As for Ukyo, she is acting differently, but remember she has forgotten a lot of things (and you'll find out how much has changed for her as the story progresses), which affects how she reacts to things.

As you can tell, I am leaving the Japanese honourifics of 'san', 'kun' etc in. There isn't a decent English equivalent and I needed to show Ukyo's astonishment at Ryoga addressing her with familiarity. In Japan it is very rare to call people by their first name unless you know them well. Many of the characters in 'Ranma 1/2' speak very rudely by neglecting to use the honourifics and Ukyo's casual approach is still shown by her calling Ryoga 'Ryoga-kun' instead of 'Hibiki-san'.

**Kansai accent** – this is a distinctive accent and even Ryoga would recognize people speaking it. Having lived in Osaka, I can now hear the different in Ukyo's speech when watching the 'Ranma 1/2' anime in Japanese.

**Imazato** is part of Osaka city, it's a city ward that's about ten minutes subway ride from the centre of Osaka. I lived there for a year and got to know the area fairly well, so it was easy to set Ukyo's new residence there. I don't know if there is an Imazato High School, but if Takahashi-sama can create a fictional school for Nerima then I can create a fictional one for Imazato!

**Tsutaya** – this is a CD/DVD/Video rental store that also sells ex-rental goods (very cheaply) and new. The one in Imazato is small compared to the ones you can find in Shibuya and Shinjuku in Tokyo, but it still has a wide range of goodies!

**Lawson** – a convenience store chain that sells many useful things for everyday life ranging from washing powder and make up to meals that will be heated up for you. The one near Imazato station was always very well stocked!

**Genkan** – the entrance way to a Japanese home where you remove your shoes.

**Happi coat** – this is a short traditional coat that is frequently seen at festivals, but also still worn by many shop keeps and restaurant owners in Japan. Ukyo wears one as part of her chef's uniform in the manga/anime.


End file.
